Philip Anthony Schmitz

On Thursday, December 29, 2022, Philip Anthony Schmitz, a beloved brother and uncle, passed away.  He was born to William and Mary Schmitz (nee Rial) on December 4, 1952.

He is survived by seven siblings: Mary Ann Ricker (Rick) of New Freedom, PA,  Jane Schmitz Blair (Chuck) of Pylesville, MD,  Michael Schmitz (Winnie) of Baldwin, MD,  Rita Crane of Fawn Grove, PA,  Gregory Schmitz (Lisa) of Forrest Hill, MD,  Teresa Hebert (Mark) of Pylesville, MD, and Joanne Schmitz of Baltimore, MD.  He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Nancy Schmitz and Carol Adams.  He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Philip graduated from Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, MD.  Philip was drafted into the US Army during the Vietnam War as his birthday was picked first in the lottery of his birth year.  He completed basic training at Fort Dix and was stationed in Fort Knox as well as other stations in California and Hawaii.  Philip served for nine months in South Korea, remarking it was the coldest winter ever for him.  After his honorable discharge, Philip continued to work for Baltimore Gas and Electric.  He later worked at the Maryland Science Center where he used their telescope to take pictures of the night sky.  These pictures were posted on their website.

Philip had many interests including fossils, photography, covered bridges, and astronomy.  He published on the identification of a newly discovered bird species in the Journal of Historical Biology.  He shared his excitement for fossils by leading after school activities that included exploration and education to foster the students’ interest in science, nature, and fossils.  His avid interest for astronomy was shown through helping his niece’s Girl Scout troop earn their astronomy badges by showing them stars, planets, and galaxies with his telescope.  His love for covered bridges was exhibited by the forty scale bridge models he built.  He also had a keen interest in trains and helped build an extensive train layout.

Family and friends will honor and celebrate Philip's life at the family-owned Evans Life Celebration Home - 8800 Harford Road, Parkville MD 21234, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, from 12:00 PM - 2:00pm PM. where a Prayer Service will be conducted at 2:00 PM.  Interment will be on  Tuesday, January 17,2023 , 10:00am in Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery , 11501 Garrison Forest Rd, Owings Mills, MD 21117 .
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Veterans or The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of PA, Inc. 

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